Start with Us! Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in the Preschool Classroom

Using an ethnographic case study approach, we examined how teachers and parents within an ethnically diverse early childhood program conceptualized and implemented culturally relevant pedagogy and how these primary caregivers were encouraging children’s socio-cultural development and awareness. Data sources included questionnaires, interview transcripts, and observational field notes (classroom and community). Findings suggest there were multiple strategies and resources teachers used to facilitate the socio-cultural growth of young children indicative of culturally relevant practices. However, we discovered there were mediating factors that impacted how and whether teachers were able to implement culturally relevant pedagogy in the early childhood classroom.